If pools, boating, beaches, runs, biking, or all of the above are on your summer agenda in Chicago, you, along with many other Chicagoans most likely are already thinking of how you are going to protect and renew your skin from the sun. Fortunately, protecting your skin from the sun doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to hide from the sun. Instead, a scheduled skin regimen that most importantly includes sunscreen can be the key to healthy skin so that you can still soak up fresh air and look great while you’re at it! Your next question may be, “How do I renew my skin from sun damage?” This is where the treatment Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL) or more commonly known as the Photofacial comes into a skin care regimen.

So today, we bring to you everything you need to know about the IPL Photofacial:

If you are a devoted athlete, i.e. runner, boxer, yogi, cycler, mountain climber, dancer (this list goes on of course)…—and still find that you have “unwanted” fat, let’s face it, you are not alone. It is natural for the body to keep those unwanted pockets of fat, even with healthy diet and exercise. That is why more than 4 million CoolSculpting treatments have been performed worldwide. In fact, ideal candidates for CoolSculpting are those who are relatively fit, but have some modest-size fat bulges that are not easily reduced through diet and exercise.

For the next couple of weeks, Reset MedSpa is excited to share with you a Beauty Q&A with our skin care experts. Today, we are sharing our first Q&A with Esthetician, Kelsey Hake. Kelsey shares all, from her skin troubles as an adolescent and how she overcame them, to her tips for a simple morning routine, while still feeling and looking your best throughout the day.

Tattoo inks contain a number of toxins that can have serious, long-term effects on the body. Tattoo ink is composed of pigments and carriers, which suspend the pigments and keep them evenly mixed to produce a consistent color. The most common carriers are water, glycerin, isopropyl alcohol, and witch hazel. Pigments are often metallic compounds such as iron oxide and titanium dioxide. Other additives include preservatives and fragrances.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently warned that a number of severe, chronic and potentially life-threatening health risks are associated with tattoos. In the US, tattoo inks are classified as cosmetics, which means the inks do not fall under FDA oversight.

Many inks include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are found in naturally-occurring materials such as coal and tar. PAHs from tattoo inks have been found in the lymph nodes of people with tattoos decades after the tattoo was applied. Studies have found that some PAHs are linked to lung, liver, and skin cancers. Exposure to PAHs in tattoo inks may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

Recent studies have found that some tattoo ink colors are associated with heightened health risks. Red and yellow inks have the greatest effects of genotoxity and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s natural antioxidants are unable to detoxify free radicals, resulting in an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals in the body. This imbalance leads to an excess of free radicals that are able to interact with components of cells within the body, damaging cellular function.

Genotoxic materials are chemical agents that have the potential to damage genetic information within a cell, causing mutations. This means that exposure to genotoxic materials can raise the risk of cancer. Studies have found that red ink causes a reduction in cell viability, and some black inks have been found to reduce mitochondrial activity. Red ink, one of the most popular ink colors, has been found to be associated with an increase in skin irritations and tumors compared to other tattoo ink colors.

In Europe, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) legislation is evaluating the toxic effects of different tattoo inks on a variety of bodily systems, including neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and cardiotoxicity, as well as negatively impacting reproductive health.

Even pure tattoo inks can still be broken down by ultraviolet light and cellular metabolism, which can lead to long-term health effects. As the compounds in tattoo inks break down and enter the blood stream, the chemicals move through the body, impacting every system of the body.

Reset MedSpa now offers the DeScribe PFD patch for your laser tattoo removal. Tattoo removal requires several treatments to complete the process. The DeScribe PFD patch works to make each treatment more effective and to protect your skin during treatment. Patient Guide named the patch the “Most Innovative Laser Tattoo Removal Product of 2016,” and we agree! If you are considering laser tattoo removal, Reset MedSpa offers the most effective and comfortable treatment available in the Chicago area. At Reset MedSpa, your tattoo removal options include cutting-edge treatments with the PicoWay laser and the DeScribe PFD patch.

So how does the patch work? The perfluorodecalin (PFD) infused patch helps speed clearance and allows for multiple passes with the laser in a single treatment. This dramatically reduces the number of laser treatments needed to remove the tattoo and shortens treatment time. The process is simple-a PFD infused patch is placed over the area to be treated, and the laser treatment is then applied through the patch.

The patch not only speeds the process of tattoo removal, it also protects the delicate epidermis. This makes your tattoo removal treatment more comfortable and reduces resulting skin irritation and post-treatment healing times. Laser treatment can cause temporary irritation to the affected area, but with the PFD patch, this irritation is greatly reduced. Using the PicoWay laser in combination with the DeScribe PFD patch, Reset MedSpa offers a highly effective yet gentle alternative to other forms of laser tattoo removal.

The DeScribe PFD patch is approved by the FDA and by regulatory agencies in the European Union, and is only available from licensed practitioners like Reset MedSpa. The patch makes your tattoo removal safer and easier.

Reset MedSpa offers a powerful, innovative, and highly-effective laser tattoo removal treatment that combines the PicoWay laser with the DeScribe PFD patch. Life is too short for regrets- book your consultation now!

The skin is the largest organ; therefore, it is important that it is properly maintained. Most people often neglect their skin not realizing that it represents the protective layer between the earthly elements and the health of the individual. During the cold winter months, the humidity is low, and this causes the air to become dry, thus causing the skin to become depleted of its moisture and becomes weathered and in need of therapeutic treatment. This is especially true of the facial skin because it is normally exposed to the elements more than other parts of the body.

Simple treatment for taking care of facial skin can include:

washing the face with warm water because hot water can strip the oils from the skin.

It is also important to exfoliate with a cleanser that is ideal for one’s skin type.

Furthermore, using a good moisturizer is a good idea to protect the skin from the cold, the wind, and the sun, thus, replenishing the moisture that has been lost.

Although practicing these three simple steps can help in keeping the facial skin healthier, it is often not enough, and this is where Reset Med Spa can offer some additional assistance. With a free skin consultation, double cleanse, extractions, mask, and massage, the skin will be ready for the next step.

We consider our Reset Facial a crucial step in the skin care process to get patients on the right track to more radiant and healthier looking skin. Your personal Skin Therapist will customize your facial to what your skin needs at the time of service.

Microdermabrasion

In addition, Reset MedSpa offers the latest microdermabrasion system by Advanced Microderm. This machine is exclusively designed and engineered to fully utilize the exceptional, all natural properties of baking soda. We are not talking about the ordinary baking soda in your refrigerator. They developed a proprietary, medical-grade sodium bicarbonate crystal that is clinically proven to perform abrasions as effectively as aluminum oxide, which is in most standard microabrasion machines, without the harsh after-effects. Our advanced system can treat around the eye and lip areas as well, while standard machines that use aluminum oxide cannot.

Dermaplaning (Micro-Peel)

Micro-peel is a unique treatment that has been around for centuries! We are among the few Chicago medspas that uses this distinctive technique that reduces unwanted peach fuzz, leaving the skin baby-soft. Our esthetician is highly trained and certified in this micro-peel technique.

It is imperative that we make time to take care of our skin because it serves us every day in many ways. For a free consultation call us at (312) 939-4000 or stop by at 11 East Congress Parkway Chicago, IL 60605.

With the holiday season and a New Year approaching, many of us are in serious need of a skin “pick-me-up.” Luckily, Reset Med Spa is excited to announce that today we are hosting our 1st Annual Botox Party starting at 4pm until 8pm! We will have our Physician’s Assistant administering BOTOX® by appointment and giving skin care consultations. At Reset Med Spa, we offer a range of skin care services including facial and microdermabrasion, injectables, micro-needling with PRP and laser procedures. We hope to see you and a friend for a night of fun at Reset Med Spa! Continue reading 1st Annual Botox Party!